After several months of hearing little on the story of over-applied thermal paste in Apple portables, it looks like the problem is rearing its head again. Some owners of the new Santa Rosa-based MacBook Pros are complaining that their new machines are hotter even than earlier MacBook Pros, and some of the more intrepid owners have opened them up to find that there is still way too much thermal grease being used, likely contributing at least somewhat to the problem. While the burns can be painful–especially in a time of year when it’s already warm outside and shorts are common–perhaps more troubling are reports of system crashes in cases of extreme processor and graphics card activity, such as while playing 3D games.

It’s worth noting that not all Santa Rosa MacBook Pro owners are having the overheating experience, with some of them even saying they’re cooler than earlier PowerBooks and MacBook Pros. Apple has also had some success with software updates to help with heating problems in the past, doing things such as lowering the threshold for the fans.

We don’t think this is the sort of problem that should make you hold off on a purchase if you’ve been waiting for new MacBook Pros, but it is something to be aware of. If you’ve got something to report on your Santa Rosa MacBook Pro, email us at editor (at) pbzone.com.

Filed under: MacBook Pro News, Troubleshooting